Wiseman's seasonal message

Football

Everybody is at it these days, John Major, Tony Blair, Paddy Ashdown . . . Keith Wiseman. Who? The new chairman of the Football Association and the only one of the aforementioned quartet to already have his election in the bag.

Wiseman joined the politicians in sending out a new year message. This is one of the FA's modern traditions (you can tell it is modern as it is not yet sponsored) and was last year used as a chance for Sir Bert Millichip, Wiseman's predecessor, to offer a sprig of mistletoe to the rebellious barons of the Premiership.

As Wiseman was elected from the ranks of the Premiership (though not by all of them) he is able to write from a position of relative authority on the need to "balance the demands of the different sections of the game in the interests of football as a whole".

He adds: "I am committed to a new partnership at the heart of our football between those who run the professional game and those who administer grassroots football.

"The best structure for our domestic game, our relations with European football, the development of the game at the grassroots will surely be among the early subjects I will be discussing with colleagues in 1997.''

Wiseman then stresses that "the top clubs have a huge part to play'' in helping England qualify for the next World Cup, adding "we will seek to ensure we are at one with them on the key issues''.

Wiseman also draws attention to the FA's successful running of Euro 96 and its bid for the 2006 World Cup; its pleasure at the decision to turn Wembley into the new national stadium, and its desire to increase Asian participation in the game and address the role of new technology - "its use, and mis-use''.

The letter is formally sent to the 89 members of the FA Council, which may be why it contains no mention of plans for structural reform of the unwieldy and anachronistic Council itself (one member each for the Army, RAF, Royal Navy, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Independent Schools, New Zealand FA and Australia, no member for the Vauxhall Conference or football supporters, one for women's football).

As they put it alongside the Queen's congratulatory telegram on the mantlepiece the councillors may reflect that one set of turkeys continue to survive Christmas.